1. Field of Embodiments
The embodiments described herein are generally directed to improved communications between HAN devices and head-end systems utilizing a communications hub function over a WAN such as a cellular network.
2. Summary of Related Art
FIG. 1a sets forth an exemplary system for communicating data between service providers, e.g., utility services providers (electricity, gas, solar etc.), and meters, e.g., smart meters and/or other in-home devices (hereafter IHDs) capable of providing utility related data (referred to herein as Reporting Devices). The IHDs could also include energy consuming devices such as HVAC units, pool pumps and the like and energy producing units such as solar devices. More particularly, the system 10 includes Reporting Devices 15, communication hubs (hereafter Comms Hubs) 20, wide are network (WAN) 25, head-end system (hereafter HES) 30 and back-end customer system (hereafter BES) 35. More particularly, the Comms Hub coordinates communication between the HES and the Reporting Devices. In a preferred embodiment, there is a single Comms Hub per subscriber premise. For multi-dwelling units, a single Comms Hub may operate such that it appears to be multiple Comms Hubs, i.e. the single Comms Hub is able to group information to/from particular dwellings within the multi-dwelling unit. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, Premise A includes Reporting Devices 15A and Comms Hub 20A, Premise B includes Reporting Devices 15B and Comms Hub 20B and Premise C includes Reporting Devices 15C and Comms Hub 20C. The Comms Hub 20 could be a stand-alone component or, alternatively, integrated with one of the Reporting Devices 15.
In order to track utility use data and provide such data or information related thereto to the service provider and/or the subscriber, there must be communications from the Reporting Devices. Traditionally, such information had to be taken directly from the meter, i.e., a person had to walk up to the meter(s) at the subscriber premise and literally read the meter. Technology progressed, and the process was arguably improved through the use of stand-off or drive by meter reading, whereby a person could take readings using, e.g., RF communications, from a truck driving by and/or walking by a premise. Currently, technology has advanced to the point where meter readings can be communicated remotely using WANs, e.g., cellular networks, without the need for a person to physically view or approach the individual meters or the subscriber premises. While this system and process is promising, there are some implementation hurdles due to the need to scale to millions, potentially billions, of subscriber premises and reporting devices. WAN bandwidth is not unlimited and it is clearly susceptible to overload. This degree of scaling presents challenges to the communication and processing processes as described further herein.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the current process for managing communications between the Reporting Devices 15 and the HES 30 is burdensome both on the WAN and the processing power of the components. Currently, Reporting Devices 15 are configured to report usage, alarm and other utility related data to their respective Comms Hubs 20. For example, individual Reporting Devices 15 may be programmed to report readings to the Comms Hub 20 which records the reported information at half-hour intervals and the Comms Hub in turn reports the totality of the collected and recorded information at a predetermined time to the HES in a batch process. The details of the local data reporting process within the Premise is not the subject of this patent application. Descriptions of such processes are known and available to those skilled in the art and described in the Attachments hereto which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. Using known batch processes, even if the Comms Hub reports data to the HES during off-peak cell usage times, the shear volume of communications can either overwhelm a network, such as a cell network or become prohibitively expensive, i.e., use of the cell is often subject to per call or per message tariffs.
By way of specific example, current processes for using system 10 of FIG. 1 require the following steps as shown in FIG. 1b. In the prior art process, when the HIES wants to get info from Comms Hub, the HES sends a Short Message Service (“SMS”), Message #1 (M#1) which tells the Comms Hub to wake up. When the Comms Hub wakes up, it establishes a high speed connection to the WAN, with instructions regarding where data from the Comms Hub needs to go M#2. In operation, M#2 facilitates using the high speed data connection of the WAN cloud (e.g., GPRS on GSM, CDMA2000 or the like), establishment of 2-way data communication between the Comms Hub and the HES. The WAN cloud mobile operator sets up an IP address for the Comms Hub so that is can communicate in both directions with the HES across the cell phone data network and the IP virtual LAN (IP-VLAN) to the HES. Accordingly, the connection for both WAN's cellular data network and IP network are established. The HES next sends an information request using the IP network to the Comms Hub M#3. In certain limited circumstances, the Comms Hub may send an acknowledgement message to the HES to acknowledge receipt of the information request M#4. Otherwise, the Comms Hub sends a response to the HES information request (M#3) which is M#5. The HES sends an acknowledgement message to the Comms Hub to acknowledge receipt of the response to the information request (M#5) which is M#6.
Accordingly, under the prior art messaging process, the HES must send an SMS message every time it wants to wake up a Comms Hub and wait for a reply to request information. Since the HES's request for meter read info from thousands and even millions of Comms Hubs, there are equally as many SMS messages to be sent each day. SMS messages are traditionally tariffed individually or tariffed with enough restrictions as to make their use precious. The SMS wakeup and response step takes time because SMS delivery can be slow and it takes time to set up the GPRS data network connection. This slows down the HES process and waists HES processing resources. As such, this wake up step is an expensive step in the prior art process. Further, the handshake-based IP protocols, e.g., TCP/TLS, of the prior art process requires multiple messages within a single thread and real-time securitization which contributes to latency including decreased throughput, increased time on network, and increased processing time. There is a need in the art to utilize the existing infrastructure of FIG. 1a in such a way that the SMS and IP message volume and latency are reduced/minimized, but there is no compromise in security.